Since taking office, President Porfirio Lobo has opened the door to expanded American military presence in Honduras and auctioned off his country’s right to self-determination.
Honduras: Sovereignty for Sale
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Latin America & Caribbean
Truce Between Salvador’s Maras for Real — for Now
The government turning its iron fist into an open hand and collaboration on music projects have helped cement a truce between rival gangs in El Salvador.
Waiting for Copernicus
It’s happening in Buenos Aires. It’s happening in Paris and in Athens. It’s even happening at the World Bank headquarters.The global economy is finally shifting away from the model that prevailed for the last three decades. Europeans are rejecting austerity. Latin Americans are nationalizing enterprises. The next head of the World Bank has actually done effective development work.
Maybe that long-heralded “end of the Washington consensus” is finally upon us.
Annotate This: EU Response to Argentina’s Nationalization
Despite being immensely popular among the people of Argentina, the Argentinean government’s decision to nationalize the YPF oil company has continued to come under attack by those who obstinately promote extractive capitalism. The measure would nationalize YPF and restore 51 percent of the company’s ownership to Argentina. It would thus end sister company Repsol’s 57.4 percent majority stake in the company.
Latin America Delivers a Good, Swift Kick to the U.S.
Latin American growth has resulted from its rejection the economic model pushed by Washington and the European Union: free trade, financial deregulation, and austerity.
Administration Buys Lies About Iran Using Latin America as Base for Terrorism
Leon Panetta has expressed a concern that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps has expanded into Latin America.
The Capital of Colombia Says, “Farewell to Arms”
Hanging from City Hall in the center of downtown Bogota is an enormous banner that reads: “To arm or to love?” [Armar or amar], advertising an initiative being carried out by the new administration of democratic leftist mayor Gustavo Petro Urrego. The initiative bans legal firearms from public places in an effort to reduce the number of homicides. The measure is also intended to strengthen the ability of the police to dismantle criminal bands and decommission illegal firearms and other weapons.
Argentina’s President Takes It on the Chin for Placing Her People’s Needs Over the Markets
The Financial Times’s characterization of Argentina’s president as shrill and shabby is a case of a kettle trying to find a pot to call black.
Drug-Law Reform Genie Freed From Bottle at Summit of the Americas
The legacy of the Cartagena summit, however, will likely be the beginning of a serious regional debate on international drug control policies.
The “Hot Potato” of the Summit of the Americas: Cuba’s Absence
Cuban leader Raoul Castro had expressed a desire to attend the meeting but was delicately told by the host, Colombian President Santos, it that would be impossible because of President Obama’s presence.